Bolt-blank-feeding mechanism



June 25, 1929. KlNNEY 1,718,240

BOLT BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM I Filed July 17, 1923 Sheets-Sheet l J. A. KINNEY BOLT BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 17, 1925 June 25, 1929.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JAMES A. KINNEY, OF LEBANON, PENN'SE'LVAIIIZ-l, ASSIGNOR TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COlllPAllY, OF BETHLE TEM, IEENIISYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BOLT-BLANK-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application filed July 17,

The present invention relates to bolt pointing and threading machines and particularly to bolt feeding mechanisms forautomatically feeding bolt blanks to the pointing and threading tools.

In my copending application, Serial No. 645,186 filed June 13, 1923, is disclosed and claimed a bolt pointing and threading machine of novel character and particularly useful in threading relatively long bolts, no automatic bolt feeding mechanism, however, comprising part of that machine, the removal of the finished bolts and the insertion of blanks being accomplished by hand.

The present invention is designed particularly as an attachment for the machine forming the subject-matter of the application above referred to but is not limited to use with such machine but is capable of general application to bolt pointing and threading machines of different types. The object of the invention is to provide an automatic bolt blank feeding machine of simple character in which the bolt blanks are so gripped, during the pointing and threading operation, that the shank may be entirely threaded from its point up to the head; in which special gripping mechanism is provided to hold the blank against rotation with a maximum force; and in which novel mechanism is pro-- vided for separating the finished bolts from the chips and turnings from the cutting tools, instead of allowing the completed bolts to fall into a receptacle together with the cuttings, as heretofore.

The embodiment of theinvention herein disclosed is arranged to handle relatively short bolts but it will be understood that by slightly modifying certain of the component elements, and without departing from the spirit of the invention, the machine may be adapted for the handling of longer bolts.

The invention has other objects and advantages which will become apparent to one skilled in theart as it is disclosed in the accompanying drawings and the following de tailed description.

The inventionis susceptible of considerable modification in various ways, and it will be obvious that the design and arrangement of its component elen'icnts may be considerably changed without departing from its spirit and scope. I

l n the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a vertical section ihrough a por- 1923. Eerial No. 652,166.

tion of the bolt pointing and threading machine showing the details of the feeding mechanism, the section being taken along the axis of one of the threading dies;

Flgure 2 is a similar view showing certain of the movable elements in different positions;

Figure 3 is a. plan view of the same;

Figure 4: is a section on line 4l4 of Fig ure 2;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through the bolt head gripping device;

Figure 6 is a view ofthe gripping jaws as seen from the front, and

Figure 7 is a view of these aws as seen from the rear.

The bed of the machine is indicatml at 10 and a rotatable threading die, of which there may be a number, at 11. The pointin mechanism is not illustrated but may e conveniently constructed in the manner disclosed. in my copending application before referred to. Mounted upon the bed 10 is a stationary bracket 10, and supported upon the top of this bracket is a slide 12 movable axially of the cutting die 11 in a trackway 13 formed in the top of the bracket, the slide being held against vertical movement by plates 14.

Mounted upon the slide 12 is a bolt blank chute 15 extending vertically and having a T-shaped groove therein to receive the bolt heads with the shanks of the bolts extending toward the threading die 11. A pusher is indicated at 16 and is slidably mounted in a groove 17 formed inthe slide 12, this groove extending axially of the cutting die 11. The pusher has secured thereto a pusher rod 18 which is adapted to contact with the head of the lowermost bolt blank upon a forward movement of the pusher and to thrust the bolt blank toward the cutting die, as shown in- Fi'gure 2, the pusher rod supporting the col- 1mm of bolt blanks as shown in this figure until its return movement to the left hand position, as shown in Figure 1, when the next lowermost bolt blank drops into axial alignment with the pusher rod. The pusher has an arm or lug 19 extending downwardly therefrom and which has a pin and slot connection with a lever 20 mounted to rock upon a fixed shaft 21. The lever 20 is apertured at22 to receive a rod 23 which is actuated in a periodic backward and forward movement by a cam mechanism which is not illustrated. This rod is operatively connected to the lever Pro- "Lil jectin-g upwardly from the top of the pusher is a lug 2% having an opening therein through which the rod25 extends; this red also extending through an upturned flange 26 of the slide 12. A coiled compression spring 27 normally tends to thrust the pusher forwardly and the slide rearwardly, and nuts 28 on the forward end of rod 25 determine the extent of this relative movement of the slide and pusher. The rearward movement of the slide is limited by the abutment of its rear end against the adjustable stop 29.

The forward end of the slide is provided with the bolt blank holding jaws 30 and 31 held against longitudinal movement by bolts 32. The forward ends of these jaws are normally pressed towards each other by springs 83 and these bolt holding jaws lie, when the slide is at the rearward limit of its travel, beneath the lower end of the chute 15, and to permit the lowermost bolt blank to drop down into the space between the jaws. The jaws are cut away as at 34, there being ample space for both the head and shank of the bolt blank to pass through. When positioned within the holding jaws 30 and 31 the flats of the bolt head lie against corresponding flats of the holdingjaws (at-the bottom and sides thereof). These flats are at the rear ends of the jaws and in advance thereof the inner surfaces of.

the jaws are warped, as shown at 35, which warped surfaces terminate in flat surfaces 86 at the forward end of the holding dies. The front fiat surfaces make angles of with the corresponding rear surfaces. The bolt blank upon being pushed through the holding device is caused to rotate by the warped surfaces through an angle of 45 and when it final. y reaches the forward end of the gripper is firmly engaged upon its four faces by the gripper and held against rotation due to the torque exerted by the threading tool. rotating the bolt blank in this manner it is more firmly gripped by the gripping devices. The holding aws 30 and 31 are therefore provided ith complementary grooves of the character just indicated which cooperate to define a passageway whose cross section is similar to that of the head of a bolt to be passed therethrough. The inlet portion of the passageway corresponds in position to the head of a bolt resting on the slide so that a bolt may be readily pushed into the passageway. If the passageway should be made untwisted from end to end, a bolt head would have the effect of tending to spruid the jaws when torque is applied to the bolt due to the act of threading. This difficulty would be particularly accentuated due to the permissible tolerances in head sizes of bolts of this character. In other words, with gripping jaws engaging bolt head sides, the effect of the application of torque to the bolt shank incident to the threading operation is to tend rvieeeo to turn the bolt head between the jaws, and this would tend to cause the corners of the head to act as cams producing spreading of the jaws. Accordingly, therefore, applicant provides the passageway defined by the complementary grooves with a .twisted portion so that a bolt may be turned to a suitable eX- tent before it reaches its-final gripped position. In its final gripped position, diagonally opposed corners of a bolt head are engaged by opposed V-portions of grooves in the jaws. Such a construction, not only-permits of firmer and more positive gripping of a bolt head, but also this mode of gripping results in a much smaller component of force due to the applied torque and tending spread the jaws.

To the lower end of lever 20 is connected, by means of a link 40, a gate or door 41 supported upon a rock shaft e2. While the threading and pointing operations are in progress this door is held as shown in Figure 2, so that the cuttings from the bolt may fall into a receptacle beneath the cutting die. When the finished bolt is falling, however, after having been ejected, the door occupies the position shown in Figure 1 and the bolt is diverted to a bolt holding receptacle. In this manner the bolts and the cuttings are entirely separated and it is not necessary to separate the bolts from the cuttings as has heretofore been the practice.

In the operation of the machine it will be understood that the rod 23 is reciprocated from time to time, being actuated by a cam which is not illustrated. The pusher is moved forwardly by the rod and at the same time the door ll is moved rearwardly. Forward movement of the pusher causes the pusher rod 18 to contact with an end of the lowermost bolt blank and to thrust this blank through the spring pressed gripping aws 30 and 31 to the forward end thereof. At this instant the lug 2a of the pusher strikes the alultment nuts 28 on. the end of the rod 2i" and the pusher and slide 12 thereafter move forwardly together. tactswith the nuts 28 the spring 27 is active to prevent forward movement of the slide, this spring expanding with the forward movemeat of the pusher but always maintaining a pressure upon the flange 26 tending to move the slide rearwardly. Inpassing through the gripping members 80 and 31 the bolt blank is rotated through 45 as previously pointed out. Continued movement of the slide and pusher results in the engagement of the boltblank between the cutters of the expanding.

and contracting threading die 11 whereupon the threading and pointing of the bolt is antomatically performed. Upon the completion of the threading operation the threading die opens and the slide is withdrawn, the

finished bolt being still held by the gripping jaws 31. The finished bolt remains in this Before the lug 24 con position until it is ejected by the succeeding blankupon the following forward motion of the pusher. During these operations the door 41 moves torwardand backward in the manner heretofore pointed out so that the,

Versely of the chute and having a recess to receive a bolt blank, bolt head. gripping mechanism carried by the slide, a pusher movable relatively to the slide for pushing a bolt along the recess until the bolt head is gripped by the gripping mechanism, and means on said slide adapted to be engaged by said. pusher to cause said slide to move with said ausher upon continued movement of the latter to feed the bolt blank to a tool.

2. A device for feeding and holding bolts for a threading machine, comprising a chute, a slide movable transversely of the chute and having a groove to receive a bolt blank, bolt head gripping mechanism at the inner end of the slide, a pusher movable in the groove and relatively to the slide "for pushing a bolt along the groove until the bolt head. is gripped by the gripping mechanism, means for reciprocating the pusher, and a lost-motion driving connection between the pusher and the slide whereby during the initial V the gripping mechanism, means movement of said pusher to move the, bolt to its gripped position the slide remains relatively stationary, but however upon continued movement of said pusher the'slide'and the latter move together to feed the bolt blank to a tool. j

3. A device for feeding and holdingbolts for a threading machine, comprising a chute, a slide movable transversely of the chute and having a groove to receive a bolt blank, bolt head gripping mechanism carried by the slide, a pusher movable in the groove and relatively to the slide for pushing a bolt along the groove until the bolt head is gripped by for recip rocating the pusher, a projection carried by the pusher and movable between abutments carried byth-e slide,'and spring means between the projection and the abutment of the slide remote from the gripping mechanism.

4, A device for feeding and holding bolts for a threading machine, comprising a chute, a slide movable transversely of the chute and having a groove to receive a bolt blank, bolt head gripping mechanism carried by the slide, a pusher movable in thergroove and relatively to the slide for pushing a bolt along thegroove until the bolt head is gripped by the gripping mechanisnn means for reciprocating the pusher, a projection carried by the pusher, a rod supported by the slide, extending through an opening in the projection, and having, means at its free end for limiting movement of the pusher in one direction relatively to the slide, and spring means surrounding the rod and interposed between the projection and the portion of the slide supporting the rod.

5. A device for feeding and holding bolts for a threading machine comprising a slide movably inwardly and outwardly with respect to a threading die, means for limiting outward movement of the slide, bolt head gripping mechanism carried by the inner end of the slide, a pusher movable relatively to theslide for moving a bolt therealong until its head is gripped by the gripping mechanism, means for limiting inward movement of the pusher with respect to the slide, yieldable means for permitting outward movement of the pusher relatively to the slide, and means for moving the pusher.

6. A device for feeding and holding bolts for a threading machine, comprising a chute, a slide movable transversely of the chute and inwardly and outwardly with respect to a threading die, said slide having a groove to receive a bolt blank, gripping members carried by the slide at the inner end of the groove, a pusher fitting the groove and movable relatively thereto for pushing a boltalong the groove until the bolt head is gripped by the gripping members, means for reciprocating the. pusher, means for limiting outward movement ot the slide, means for limiting inward movement of. the pusher relatively to the slide, and yieldable means interposed between the pusher and the slide and serving to transmit outward motion of the pusher to the slide until the latter engages its outward-motion-limiting means whereupon the pusher moves outwardly relatively to the slide to permit a bolt blank to come into position in the groove. v

7. A device for feeding and holding bolts for a threading machine, comprising a chute, a slide movable transversely ofthe chute and inwardly and outwardly with respect to a threading die, said slide having a recess to receive a bolt blank, bolt head gripping mechanism carried by the inner end of the slide, a pusher movable relatively to the slide for pushing a bolt along the recess until the bolt head is gripped by the gripping mechanism, means for reciprocating the pusher, yieldable means for transmitting outward motion of the pusher to the slide to cause the latter to movement of the pusher after outward mo tion of the slide is arrested in order that the pusher may clear the recess so that a bolt may enter the latter, and adjustable abutment means for limiting inward movement of the pusher relatively to the slide so that a bolt head may be correctly positioned with respect to the gripping mechanism.

8. A device for feeding and holding bolts for a threading machine, comprising a chute, a slide movable transversely of the chute and inwardly and outwardly with respect to a threading die, said slide having a recess to receive a bolt blank, bolt head gripping mech anism carried by the slide, a pusher movable relatively to the slide for pushing a bolt along the recess until the bolt head is gripped by the gripping mechanism, a rod connected to the slide, a projection carried by the pusher and having an opening fitting the rod, a spring interposed between the projection and the portion of the slide supporting the rod, adjustable nut means carried by the rod at the side of the projection opposite to the spring, and adjustable means for limiting outward motion of the slide.

9. A device for feeding and holding bolts for a threading machine, comprising a chute, a slide movable transversely of the chute'and inwardly and outwardly with respect to a threading die, said slide having a recess to receive a bolt blank, bolt head gripping mech anism carried by the inner end of the slide, a pusher movable relatively to the slide for pushing a bolt along the recess until the bolt head is gripped by the gripping mechanism, means for reciprocating the pusher, motion transmitting means between the pusher and the slide including a spring device normally effective to maintain the slide in a predetermined outward position with respect to the pusher, and adjustable means for limiting outward motion of the slide, said spring device being effective to permit further outward motion of the pusher when outward motion of the slide is limited. g

10. In mechanism for threading bolts, the combination of a threading die, a device for feeding and holding bolts, a deflector for maintaining separate bolt trimmings and threaded bolts, said feeding and holding device comprising a chute, a slide movable transversely of the chute and inwardly and outwardly with respect to the threading die, said slide having a recess to receive a bolt blank from the chute, bolt head gripping mechanism carried by the inner end of the slide, a pusher movable relatively to the slide for pushing a bolt along the recess until the bolt head is gripped by the gripping mechanism, a lever for reciprocating the pusher, yieldable means for transmitting outward motion of the pusher to the slide, means for limiting outward motion of the slide, an abutmovement of the pusher relatively to the slide, and means for transmitting motion from the lever to the deflector. V

11. In a threading machine, the combination, with a threading die, of a bolt feeding and holding mechanism comprising a slide movable inwardly and outwardly with respect to the die, said slide having a bolt blank receiving recess, and bolt head gripping members at the inner end of the slide, said gripping members being provided with comple: mentary bolt head receiving grooves whose inlet and edges are disposed similarly to a bolt head as a bolt enters the recess and which have forward spiral portions, whereby, when a bolt blank is movcdforwardly between the gripping members, such blank will be rotated so that the gripping members will grip the bolt head corner I 12. In a threading machine, the combination, with a threading die, of a bolt feeding and holding mechanism for square-headed bolts comprising a slide movable inwardly and outwardly with respect to the die,'said slide having a groove therein for receiving a bolt blank having a square head,v and bolt head gripping members at the inner end of the slide, said gripping members being pr0- vided with complementary bolt head receiving grooves whose inlet edges are disposed similarly to a square bolt head with vertical portions of said edges corresponding to the vertical sides of the bolt head, said grooves ,having forward spiir'al portions, whereby, when a bolt blank is moved forwardly be tween the gripping members, such blank will be rotated so that the gripping members will have opposed V-portions engaging bolt head corners to effectively resist turning of the bolt.

13. The combination with a threading die, of a bolt holding member having bolt head gripping devices cooperating to define a pas- 'sageway for and conforming to a bolt head, i

said passageway having its inlet end disposed correspondingly to the head of a bolt resting on the member so that the head may be readily pushed into the passage, and said passage being twisted, whereby, when a bolt is pushed in, the devices will grip diagonally opposed corners of the head to resist turning.

14. The combination with a threading die, of a bolt holding member and opposed bolt head gripping devices cooperating to define a passageway for and conforming to a bolt head, said passageway having its inlet end disposed correspondingly to the head of a bolt resting on the member so that the head may be readily pushed into the passageway, and said passageway being twisted, whereby, when a bolt is pushed in, the gripping devices will grip diagonally opposedcorners of the head to resist turning of a bolt, and yieldable means cooperating with the inner ends of the devices to urge the latter into, gripping relation.

15. The combination, with a threading die, of a bolt holding member having a groove with a horizontal bottom to receive squareheaded bolts, gripping members at the inner end of the groove, said gripping members cooperating to define a passageway for and conforming to a bolt head, said passageway having its inlet end disposed with vertical sides corresponding to the vertical sides of the head of a bolt resting on the bottom of the groove ,so that the head may be readily pushed into JAMES A. KINNEY. 

